Today’s Lie: You’re Not Very Smart

This one really gets me. Going to school, at least in New York, it was very easy to feel “stupid” if I didn’t get at least a B in every class. My younger brother, school-wise, is a freaking genious. He is super smart, needs a new grade-point-average system to align with how well he does on tests, and is generally intellectual, well-read, and obviously I can’t tell you enough how impressed I am! Now, I don’t know about you, but it can be really easy to be around someone like this and think “you’re stupid”. Let’s change that, ok?

GUESS WHAT? Intelligence is not a measure of test scores and reading comprehension!!!!!!!!! That notion is full of bull$h!t! It’s all too easy to get caught up in comparing ourselves on these factors alone and find someone “smarter” than us, and then decide to label ourselves as “not very smart.” STOP IT! Each one of us has talents and specialties that we excel at.

If we could simply grow up and out of school-based intelligence

judgements, we can begin to see how clever we are! On that level, for instance, if you speak lots of languages, are a stellar negotiator, a fantastic writer, a brilliant designer, and so forth, you see how your intelligence now becomes enmeshed with your talent and innate brilliance?

Also, are you athletic or good at sports? Hey, then you know that there is important mental strategy that goes into being a good team or individual player! So, if you’re good at it, then you must be smart.

So, starting RIGHT NOW, if you have been referring to yourself as anything less than exceptionally smart, start wising up to your brilliance, and lead with it!